A Long Way
by SweetMemories1998
Summary: Six months after returning to Fiore, Gray and Juvia decide to visit his old hometown with their children. While there, the ice mage thinks about how far he'd come as he watches Juvia play with their son. (Gruvia Family Fluff) (Sequel to Seven Years Later) (For Gruvia Week )


**Reposting because of a huge mistake that Martygruvialover pointed out. **

**Here we go with day 3. The prompt was Journey, so I decided to explore Gray and Juvia's journey to become parents and how far they've come.**

 **First, may I just say that there are so many amazing works made for Gruvia Week. You guys are awesome, thank you so much for all these stories you're writing to honor our favorite couple.**

 **Once the week is over, I'll take my sweet time reading all of them, since now I'm way too busy finishing my own stories.** **This one is much happier than the first two, it's just fluff with Gruvia as a f** **amily** **.**

 **Since it can be considered a sequel to Seven Years Later, I advise you to read that one first. **

**Happy Reading!**

* * *

"Ur, please, stop running!" Juvia pleaded as she tried to catch the overly energetic child.

"Can't catch me!" The little boy mockingly said while laughing as he kept escaping her grasp.

It had been six months since they had returned from Tenrou Island after being stuck there for 7 years and things were going well. It didn't take long for Gray, Juvia and their friends to reconnect with the people they had left behind and get adjusted to the new Fairy Tail guild.

Although many things had changed over the years, but friendship between the Tenrou Team and the members who stayed behind never went away, so they had plenty of help getting used to this new world.

Gray and Juvia had moved into his apartment once they returned, but after a few months they managed to buy a bigger house for their family. Ultear and Meredy decided to move in with them since the they didn't have a place to stay, so they were a big help when it came to taking care of Ur and Mika.

Natsu and Lucy; and Levy and Gajeel bought houses on the same street of Magnolia, since the six of them had grown a lot closer over the years. It turned out to be very helpful when the couples wanted some alone time and had to leave the kids with their friends.

As for the others who had been stuck in Tenrou Island, they were all doing fine. Elfman and Evergreen had announced their second pregnancy two weeks before and Mira and Laxus' precious baby girl, whom they named Alycia, after his late mother, was healthy and happy.

"Got you." Juvia gave a victorious smile as she finally managed to catch her son.

"No, let me go!" Ur tried to free himself and she tightened her hold on him.

"Is he trying to escape from bath time again?" Gray asked as he came into the room, six months old Mika safely sleeping in his arms.

"I don't understand why he doesn't like it." Juvia shook her head, looking disappointed.

"I guess it's safe to say he won't be a water mage." He said and she frowned even more.

"I guess not." Ur tried once again to leave her arms, to no avail. Choosing to change his strategy, he gave her a pleading look.

"Please, mamma. I don't wanna take a bath." Juvia couldn't help but to smile.

"Sorry, baby, but we must stay clean. Can you imagine what it would be like if we never took showers?" A frown came upon his face, but he stopped struggling.

"Fine." He muttered before burying his head in the crook of her neck, sighing.

"That's my boy." The bluenette sweetly kissed his forehead and Gray smiled at the two.

"I'll get started on dinner. What would you like?" After thinking about it, she came to a simple conclusion.

"I could eat some some caramade franks." He smiled even more.

"Me too. I'll get them after putting our little princess to bed." Juvia approached him and Mika, who slept soundly. Once she was in front of them, Ur removed his head from her neck and turned to his sister.

"She's sleeping already?" He looked surprised and both parents laughed.

"Yes, Ur. Babies sleep a lot." A thoughtful look came upon his face.

"Did I sleep this much when I was a baby?" Juvia and Gray shared a look as memories crossed their minds.

"You did, but unlike your sister, you never slept though the night." They grimaced as they remembered countless nights spent awake before of the little boy who refused to sleep.

"Then when did I sleep?" Ur was confused.

"After lunch you used to take a long nap." Juvia told him before looking towards the clock by the fridge. "It's almost bed time, so we should get going." After gently kissing her daughter's forehead and giving Gray a small peck on the lips, she turned around and went towards the bathroom.

About two hours later, Ur was finally asleep, so the couple was able to enjoy their dinner in peace. Throughout the meal, Gray and Juvia talked about many subjects until the ice mage decided to tell her of an idea that had been on his mind for the past few weeks.

"You know, there's something I'd like to do." She looked at him curiously.

"What is it, my love?" He sighed deeply before replying.

"I'd like to visit my home town." Her eyes widened.

"Are you sure?" The subject of his town, Deliora, his parents and Ur was a touchy one, so they rarely mentioned it. Usually she was the one to initiate conversations about his past, so for Gray to suggest it was truly surprising.

"Yeah. I thought about it a lot and it's about time I go back there. To say goodbye, you know, so that I can get some closure." She nodded, understanding. Although they had both moved on from their tragic childhoods, the nightmares were still there and the need for closure had almost driven them mad a few times.

"I understand." She placed a hand on top of his, smiling at the view of their wedding rings. They had gotten married after returning from Tenrou Island, having wanted to wait until they were back home to celebrate their happiness.

"So, are you in?" Gray asked and Juvia nodded once again.

"Yes. I'll gladly accompany you. " A frown came upon her face. "We just need to figure out what to do about the kids. Ultear and Meredy won't return from their mission for another 10 days, Natsu and Lucy have their hands full taking care of Layla and the twins and…" He interrupted her.

"Actually, I was thinking of bringing them with us." Her eyes widened at his suggestion.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He nodded.

"They deserve to know more about me, where I grew up and all. Aren't you the one who always wants to make sure there are no secrets in our family?" He was right, so she sighed before agreeing.

"You're right. When do you want to go?" It didn't take him long to answer.

"Soon." Sensing the tension on his tone, she stood up and approached him, wrapping both arms around him from behind.

"It will be okay." Juvia reassured him and Gray nodded.

"Yeah, it will be." He couldn't deny that he was proud of himself for deciding to do this. The old Gray would never want to return to his home town, afraid of being overcome by memories he'd rather forget. However, he had come a long way since that immature, insensitive and (though he'd never admit it) scared boy who used to pick fights all the time and completely ignore Juvia's feelings.

* * *

A few days later they found themselves on a train headed to Antartica. Juvia sat in front of him, Mika in her arms, while Ur sat by his side. He used his ice-magic to entertain the little boy during the long trip and Juvia joined in as soon as Mika was asleep. Together, the couple did a small unison raid that made the little boy's eyes widen and he gasped in amazement.

"Awesome!" Ur yelled and they smiled.

"What did I tell you, Ur? We're cool parents." Gray said, making Juvia roll her eyes while the child smiled.

"Yeah, you are. I want to be just like you." His heart swelled with pride and his smile enlarged.

"I have no doubt you'll be as strong as your father someday." Juvia eagerly told him once the couple undid the spell.

"Do you think I could learn ice magic?" Ur excitedly asked and Gray nodded.

"Of course. I'll make sure you pick up all the tricks Ur taught me when I was young." The little boy was well aware of the woman he had been named after, though Gray didn't speak much about the circumstances regarding her death. All he told him about was the few months that he had lived and trained with her.

"Awesome!" Juvia smiled at him before looking out the window.

"I think we're almost there." Even though she'd never been to Antartica, she did know the small town nearby where they would be staying.

"Yay!" Ur cheered and Gray immediately tensed as he stared out of the window. The bluenette was quick to take his hand and squeeze it while giving him a reassuring look. He took a deep breath in order to relax.

"Okay, buddy, time to get our things ready." The two of them proceeded stowing away all of the belongings that had been taken out of the two large suitcases Juvia had prepared for them while she picked the sleeping child from her makeshift crib. Mika cried out once she was removed, but quickly fell asleep again as Juvia held her against her chest.

Once the train stopped, they exited it and walked all the way to the small hotel where they'd be staying for the next few days. After they were settled in and had something to eat, Juvia awoke the little girl since it was time for them to visit Antartica.

* * *

They walked once again, Ur running a few steps ahead of them while he played in the snow and Mika tried to catch it with her tiny hands. Upon arriving at the village, they were stunned silent for a few minutes at the sight of such a desolated place.

There were few signs that this had once been a beautiful small town, everything had been turned to ruins. No houses stood there anymore, they were all torn apart and there were no signs of life. "Is this where you lived, dad?" Ur asked, looking confused. Gray didn't answer, for he was frozen in place as memories overcame him.

"Yes, Ur. A long time ago this used to be a lovely village." Juvia explained, taking a step forward.

"What happened?" The little boy curiously asked and she looked back at her husband. His face was filled with pain and regret and she wanted nothing more than to comfort him. However, she knew that all he needed was some alone time so that he could take this all in, so she approached Ur and took his hand.

"Here, let's take a walk." The child stared at her in confusion.

"What about daddy?" He looked back towards the frozen ice-mage and Juvia sighed.

"Your father hasn't been here in 17 years, so let's give him some time to take all of this in." The little boy didn't quite understand what she meant, but knew better than to go against his mother. So he took her hand and pretty much dragged her and Mika around the village.

The baby shivered with the cold and Juvia wrapped the blanket tighter around her small body. She started thinking maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to bring her along in this trip, since she was far too young to understand what was happening and the cold weather affected her more.

However, she knew that Gray wanted his whole family to be there, that he needed them all. This was incredibly hard for him and she wanted nothing more than to fully support him, so she kept her thoughts to herself while attempting to follow Ur.

* * *

While the three of them walked around the city, Gray stood there for a few minutes and let the memories come. First he remembered his parents, their blurry faces becoming visible for the first time in years. He recalled how his father had also been an ice mage and how his mother was so beautiful and kind. He remembered their names were Silver and Mika, but he didn't wouldn't have needed to know their names to know that they had been great parents. That was something he'd never forget.

He walked around a bit, going through the rubbles. Somehow he managed to find his old house amongst the ruins, it would've been unrecognisable if it wasn't for the small blue dragon; his favorite toy as a child. He remembered how, on the night everything fell apart, he had been holding onto the object and refused to let go of it. Ur had a hard time convincing him to leave it behind as she rescued him.

A smile came upon his face once he thought of Ur. Over the past seven years, he had managed to overcome the guilt of causing her death after Ultear made it clear she didn't blame him. With her help and Juvia's, Gray finally forgave himself for what happened with Deliora and had moved on.

"You were right all along." He whispered while kneeling down and picking up the dragon. "I needed to let go of my past if I ever wanted to have a future." She had said those words the night she had saved him and he had never forgotten.

"Thank you, Ur. For everything." He didn't know if she could hear him, but he needed to say it.

The snow falling around him reminded him of her and Gray smiled. It felt so good not to be overcome with guilt and sadness at the thought of his master. For so long he had avoided her memory, but now he could finally remember her without hurting.

"Do it again, mamma!" The scream caught his atention and he turned around to spot Juvia and Ur not far from where he was. He watched as the water mage turned the snow into water and made it fall on the child.

"I thought you didn't like water." Juvia said, approaching Ur and kneeling down. She carefully placed Mika on the snow and the baby happily grabbed a handful of it and placed it on her mouth.

"I like the rain." The boy replied, throwing some snow on his sister, making her laugh. "Daddy said that you are the rain and I like you, so I like it." Gray couldn't see her, but he was sure that a smile would be on her face.

"Oh, Ur. You're so sweet." She picked him up and kissed his cheeks while he laughed.

"Stop it, mamma." Ur said though his giggles.

A proud smile came upon Gray's face. They were his family. After so long, he had finally gotten what he wanted and it was all thanks to her. This amazing woman who had stood by his side though thick and thin, who had never given up on him. He didn't know what he would've done without her.

Unable to just stand there anymore, he joined them, kneeling on the ground by Juvia's side. She let go of Ur and the little boy resumed running and trying to catch snow flakes.

"Thank you." The ice mage whispered while wrapping his arms around her waist. She gave him a sweet smile while a soft hand touched his cheek.

"What for, my love?" He glanced towards their two children.

"For giving me the family I always wanted. For helping me move on from my past. For everything." She placed her other hand on his cheek and stroked it.

"You did the same for me." It was always her response when he thanked her.

"I love you." He confessed and her smile enlarged.

"I love you too." They kissed then, ignoring Ur's complaints as he always did when they were too affectionate. It was only Mika's crying that made the couple break apart.

"What's wrong, sweetheart." Juvia asked, removing Gray's arms from around her so that she could pick up the child.

"I think she's cold." Gray suggested, seeing as Mika was shivering.

"I guess she won't be an ice mage." The bluenette replied, standing up with the baby in her arms. She used her magic to conjure a blanket and wrapped it tightly around her daughter.

"I guess not." Gray said, smiling. The sight of the woman he loved with his children always brought a smile on his face. It reminded him of how far they had come. "It's strange to think about how far we've come."

"Yes, it's hard to imagine that only 7 years ago you wouldn't even touch me." She replied and he laughed.

"I was an idiot back then." Gray said and she nodded.

"I can't argue with that." She smirked.

"Hey, you weren't exactly a saint either." Juvia grimaced upon remembering how insistent and crazy she used to be.

"True. Thankfully, we've become better versions of ourselves." He was about to say something when there was a loud cry.

"Ur." They said in unison before sighing. While Gray ran towards their son and proceeded to comfort the crying child, Juvia watched with a smile. He had truly come a long way, she thought. They both had.

* * *

 **So, what did you think?**

 **Did you enjoy seeing Gruvia as a family? I just love imagining them as parents, I think they'd be great.**

 **What are your thoughts on Ur?**

 **Tomorrow's prompt will be my favorite and I think you'll enjoy it as well.**

 **Have a nice day, everyone!**


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